Lost and Found
by markaleen
Summary: After a freak storm, the Professor anxiously searches for Mary Ann who hasn't returned to camp. One-shot.


**A couple of months ago I decided to re-watch Gilligan's Island in full for the first time in several years. For whatever reason, I grew much more attached to the characters this time around as opposed to when I first watched ten years ago. I've always loved the Professor/Mary Ann pairing and I've had several ideas for fics surrounding them... this is my first attempt writing for them so I'm still trying to get a feel for their voices. In any case, I hope you enjoy!**

**I dedicate this story to my dear friend Hartkins. She has put up with my incessant fangirling over MAP and GI in general the last several weeks and encouraged me to write/publish this fic. Words can't express how much your presence in my life and second-hand fangirling has meant to me. I love you as much as Gilligan loves Coconut Cream Pie! **

* * *

"Mary Ann! Mary Ann, are you here?"

The Professor forged a pathway through the fallen branches and tossed vines. This last storm had to have been worse than the one that brought them to the island. It came as unannounced as the first, that was certain. Most of the group had been at least nearby the camp at the start of the downpour. Gilligan, Skipper, and Mary Ann were the acceptations.

Gilligan and the Skipper found their way back eventually, no thanks to Gilligan's panic. They all waited for Mary Ann to return. Ginger said she'd gone to collect more berries for their makeup supply. The Professor sighed at this. He'd warned the girls multiple times about these scavenges. It was only a matter of time before they ended up choosing something poisonous for lipstick.

"That was hours ago," Ginger had said once the storm passed. Now another few hours had passed. It was going to be near impossible finding her in the dark.

Skipper sent Ginger and Mrs. Howell back to camp for the night leaving the search up to the men. Perhaps against better judgment, they went in separate ways hoping to cover as much of the island as possible.

To make matters worse, the storm brought in a cold front, something of a rare occasion on these islands. Though there wasn't a risk of Mary Ann freezing to death, the Professor still worried. This alone was upsetting. He wasn't being reasonable. While she'd be uncomfortable, he knew a chill was the least of the potential dangers.

It was hard not to worry about her. Over the years the Professor had built a strong comradeship with Mary Ann. While he had different relationships with each of the castaways, there was something especially different in his relationship with her. He could go to her for help with his experiments and she would express genuine interest. Likewise, she could go to him with problems of her own, be it a cooking question or simply needing to talk through a bout of homesickness. Likewise, he confided in her. There was no question about who he was closest to.

No matter the crisis, he never knew Mary Ann to complain. Not in the greater scheme of things. She took charge in areas the men lacked. The Professor couldn't imagine the island without her. He didn't want to imagine the island without her.

"Mary Ann!" he called again. It wasn't often he felt such perturbation, but with each hour, he grew more concerned. Mary Ann was capable of navigating herself back to camp if she took cover from the storm. Something had to be wrong.

He continued deeper into the jungle, starting to lose his bearings himself. The logical side of him told him to turn around. For all he knew, one of the others had found her and now they were waiting for him to return. Were it anyone else, he might have thought this the most probable, but his concern for Mary Ann pushed him forward.

Eventually, the Professor came to one cluster of caves. He'd only been down this way a handful of times looking for resources and specimens for experiments. When they first arrived on the island, he thought the area could be used for shelter in an emergency but had since forgotten. The caves near the camp were larger and higher up. He was glad of this the closer he got. Several of the trees were downed in the storm and created a mess. Plus, the ground was puddling. He walked carefully to avoid getting his sneakers stuck in the mud.

Once more, he called for Mary Ann. Hoping his voice would echo off the cliffs and travel farther. He listened carefully for a response… and incredible relief came over him when he heard her voice nearby.

"Professor!" Mary Ann shouted. "I'm over here!"

The Professor turned his head to the right where he thought he'd heard her. He scolded himself for not bringing a torch.

"In the cave," she added. "Turn a bit more."

He saw her this time, running toward her no longer caring about the mud puddles. He could barely see her due to a fallen tree in front of the already small opening.

"Are you all right?" he questioned with more worry in his voice than he would have liked. "Are you hurt?"

Picking up on his tone, she said in a light tone, "No, just trapped and hungry."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since the storm started. Once I realized it was more than a shower I ran for cover."

"I'm glad you're all right," he said as he walked around the tree, figuring the best way to get her out.

"I've been trying to push my way through but I'm not strong enough. I might be able to squeeze my way through the opening at the bottom if you help me clear away the bottom branches and rocks."

The Professor got to work clearing away the rubble with whatever help Mary Ann could offer. It didn't occur to him to get help from the others even when he was straining his back trying to pull the trunk back to give her more room to move. It budged, albeit not much.

Satisfied with the gap he made, he reached for her hand.

"Think you can fit through there?"

She took his hand and answered by trying to crawl out. Halfway through the sleeve of her dress got caught on a branch resulting in her jarring backward. The Professor noticed right away and quickly broke it away. With a thank you, Mary Ann managed the rest of her way out with the guidance of his arm.

She'd just gotten to her feet when the Professor scooped her up off her feet and into a hug. She hugged back with equal force, lingering a bit, though, not without some internal questioning surrounding this reaction.

"I'm sorry I had you so worried," she said when she was set back on her feet.

"You don't need to apologize," the Professor said. "I'm glad nothing more terrible happened."

Mary Ann smiled, looking down at her hands that had fallen securely into his. When she did, she noticed a long scrape on her arm, one of those that begins to sting only when you've noticed them.

"Oh..."

The Professor looked as she twisted to see how long it spanned. Holding her still as he inspected it, he said, "It isn't deep. It needs to be cleaned, though. We'll get some antiseptic back at camp."

With a sigh, Mary Ann said, "Where are we? I got so disoriented when the rain started. How's everyone else? Did the huts hold up?"

"Some damage to the roofs and walls but nothing we haven't fixed before."

"Good."

"I know where we are now," he finished. "A bit of a walk, though. Are you up for it? Nothing else is hurt?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm all right. Again, hungry. I hope no one minds a late dinner. I hope Gilligan's caught some fish, too. I'm sure the storm spoiled everything we had out."

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure Ginger's prepared something by now. She and Mrs. Howell stuck around in case you came back. The rest of us formed a search party."

They began walking as they spoke, the Professor unconsciously leading her by her hand.

Guilt evident, Mary Ann said, "I appreciate it."

"Getting trapped wasn't your fault," he said.

"I know."

"Why do you sound so perplexed?"

She was quiet a moment, refusing to look at him even when he slowed and tugged her hand. When she spoke, her words came out along with another sigh.

"Oh, Professor... I know you warned me not to venture too far when looking for berries and plants for me and Ginger. I wouldn't have gotten lost or caught in the storm had I listened."

"My concern wasn't navigation, rather the chances of you collecting Berberis, Melia azedarach, Prunus caroliniana, Ruta graveolens, etc. Some of these plants will leave a rash if applied to the skin and must not be ingested at any volume."

Shrugging off the unfamiliar terms, she said, "I've had a look at that book of yours. I know what to avoid."

"I want to be sure," he said, "many species look alike. I've confused them myself."

"I promise, whatever I gather next time I'll bring straight to you to inspect."

The Professor nodded, not sure what else to say.

When she realized he wasn't going to say anything, Mary Ann said, "I hope I didn't upset you."

"Not at all."

"You sure?"

Turning his head to look at her, the Professor gave a small smile. "I'm positive."

"What's on your mind then?"

He paused a few seconds longer before he chuckled. "I'm amused."

"By what?" she questioned.

"By my discernment."

Now was Mary Ann's turn to smile. "Were you really so worried?"

"Of course," he said. "I was at a loss for what to do. Between the four of us, we must have covered most of the island's ground. I began thinking you might have been swept out to sea."

She felt bad for the laugh that escaped her, even though the Professor laughed with her. It wasn't often she saw this side of him.

"Well," she said a few seconds later, "I'm glad to know you care."

"More than I want to admit," he said without much thought.

"Oh?"

Hearing himself, he tried to backtrack, which in turn made him mumble unintelligibly, adding to Mary Ann's amusement.

"I think the storm's exhausted you, Professor," she said.

"Yes, I suppose it has."

Their pace picked up again, the Professor feeling uncomfortable with the silence after his slip. When all was said and done, he knew why he was particularly worried. He knew why he couldn't form a simple sentence when she questioned him. He knew why his hand always found its way to hers. What's more, he knew, on some level, the reasons were mutual. This wasn't the first time he'd been tongue-tied around her. If he wasn't tripping over his words he was rattling off scientific facts. Fortunately, these moments seldom came in front of the others.

In recent months, such conversations occurred more often, sometimes Mary Ann being the one to stumble. Granted, she managed to do so with much more grace than himself. It was the way she sometimes looked at him that made him wonder more so than her words or other mannerisms. His eye would catch her's staring, a shy smile following. There were other times, too. A brush of hands that would be a stretch to consider accidental, going out of her way to prepare his favorite lunch... little things. He knew he was more to her than his intelligence.

Some minutes passed still without speaking. Needing to break the silence herself, Mary Ann asked, "How do you suppose we'll find the others now?"

"They'll meet back at the huts when they haven't found you."

"I hope so. I don't want anyone else getting lost." She paused before continuing. "I'm a bit embarrassed if I'm being honest."

"Embarrassed about getting lost?" the Professor questioned.

"More stuck than lost. I should have known not to go into a cave. It could have flooded or could have been home to an animal."

He nodded. "That's true, but in light of the situation, it's a good thing you chose the cave. The downed trees would have crushed you."

Pulling her arms together, she said. "I'm still embarrassed. All this fuss because of me." She ended with a shiver as a gust of wind passed over them.

"There's no need," he said, wrapping an arm around her, minding her scrape. "It could have been any of us."

Mary Ann surrendered with a tired breath, leaning closer against him as she did so.

Though walking this way wasn't ideal in the current conditions, the Professor couldn't tear himself away. For all intents and purposes, he could have lost her today. He wasn't ready to let go.

"Are you all right, Professor?" She startled him out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?" was all he replied.

Mary Ann repeated, "Are you all right? You seem to be someplace else."

He was, though he was having trouble admitting it to himself, let alone her.

"I'm fine."

"You'd tell me if you weren't?"

He looked down at her before she rested her head on his shoulder. Upon seeing her look of concern, he smiled and squeezed her side. He looked forward again when he said, "Someday."

Brows furrowed, she interrogated, "Someday? What do you mean?"

The Professor struggled to find a vague but honest response. But, of course, he was talking to Mary Ann — the one person who caused words to fail him. He wasn't ready to tell her, whatever it was exactly he wanted to say. It wasn't the right time, not when he needed to inform everyone he'd found her.

He also knew it wasn't fair to her to leave her wondering. Not entirely.

Not wanting to jeopardize anything further with a bumbling explanation, the Professor leaned down and kissed her atop her head. Mary Ann remained still for several seconds, trying to make sense of this response. Then slowly, she stood up straight and halted their steps. The shy smile hadn't left his face, though, he refused to make full eye contact.

Bringing a hand to his cheek, Mary Ann let out a soft and understanding laugh. She wanted to assure him he had nothing to fear in saying what he was (or seemed to be) trying to say. However, she decided to let him work out whatever was holding him back. There was no need to rush him. If there was one thing they had, it was time. Besides, it might be fun thinking of more ways to show him the feeling was mutual.

Retaking his hand from earlier, she said gently, "Let's get back to camp before they send out a search party for _you_."

The Professor nodded, hoping his happy grin didn't look as silly as it felt.


End file.
